Can you name the accepted methods for carrying out the death penalty (U.S.)?

created by Booger

Enter a method in the box below
Correctly named methods will show up below
Answers do not have to be guessed in order
Note: 35 states retain the death penalty. 18 of these states authorize alternate methods under varying circumstances.
Source: deathpenaltyinfo.org
Also try: 2008 Executions

You have 1 minute to guess after you click the button below.

Popular trivia games today

Are You Smarter Than a College Student? III

16235

Geography by Numbers III

8388

Word Ladder 02/13/2012

4423

Are You Smarter Than a College Student? II

2944

Geography Bunker

2911

Missing Word 02/13/2012

2906

Are You Smarter Than a College Student?

2784

Mixed Word 02/13/2012

2445

And more...

Ready? Click to Start

01:00

Show Missed Answers

Method	# of States Authorizing
	35 + federal government
	9
	5
	2
	2

Javascript is not currently enabled on your browser.
If you do have Javascript enabled:
This site uses javascript to make the magic happen.
Please turn on javascript and reload this page, or use a more current browser (like Firefox)

Methods of Execution Quiz

Rating:	Report a mistake
Created by: Booger -
Published: April 23rd, 2009
Category: Miscellaneous
Plays: 204,887

Tags: Death Quizzes, State Quizzes, execution, method, accepted, carrying, authorizing, penalty

Loading friend results....

	vogz:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:42 GMT	2 points
	woulda thought hanging occurred in more places...entertaining quiz...from someone with a screwed up head haha

	dakaraja:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:47 GMT	5 points
	I would have thought that the last two of these would have been declared "cruel and unusual punishment".

	Shaft41:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:48 GMT	61 points
	Huh. I thought "Watching the entire ouevre of Adam Sandler" would have made the list.

	[Deleted]:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:48 GMT	45 points
	If any of these deserve to be considered cruel and unusual, it would be the gas chamber. It takes longer than the other methods and its supposedly quite painful.

	Kamara853:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:54 GMT	22 points
	Firing squad and hanging? Seem kind of old-school. I didn't know states still allowed that.

	The:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:56 GMT	105 points
	I kinda laughed/felt stupid at myself as I typed in "Guillotine" and "Crucifixion" because I couldn't get the last one...

	Malica:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:56 GMT	55 points
	I'm really hoping there's a big difference between "allowed" and "still practiced"...

	LoveShack:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:56 GMT	38 points
	gas chamber is completely monstrous.

	bsd987:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:56 GMT	12 points
	@dakaraja - every state has lethal injection now, but the others still exist as options if the convicted would rather be put to death by that method.

	CarpeDiem:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:56 GMT	20 points
	@smacaskill: I'm with you. I'd rather be taken out by the last two methods than the first three, cause they're pretty instantaneous while the others aren't. I guess we don't really know what the electrocuted person goes through but after watching The Green Mile I don't even want to contemplate it. :-)

	brapbrap:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:57 GMT	11 points
	firing squad!! where can that still happen?

	The:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:58 GMT	7 points
	Electric chair is the worst BTW. I saw a re-enactment of it once, and the guy was shaking, every muscle tense, and he started crying blood. It took nearly a minute, too.

	tbh444:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:58 GMT	13 points
	Could have been expanded to make it international and perhaps take in the past, how about decapitation, stoning, burning at the stake, crucifiction, buried alive etc.

	Ryan:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 16:59 GMT	7 points
	gas chamber!? That should not be allowed. We are not aspiring to become the the third reich...

	gopaladins:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:01 GMT	21 points
	all of these methods are cruel and unusual because the DEATH PENALTY is cruel and unusual. the government can't take away inalienable rights, one of which is LIFE. lock them up forever, but don't kill them. doesn't matter what they did. i don't have sympathy for killers, i have fear of a government that can kill.

	Cheeseknight:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:02 GMT	16 points
	This is probably the first new quiz in weeks that I've got all of them right on the first attempt. Not sure if that's a good thing though...

	Juan:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:02 GMT	5 points
	@brapbrap: It's legalized in Oklahoma and Utah as a backup...intense

	opalefty:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:02 GMT	9 points
	Firing squad is an alternative to lethal injection in Utah and Oklahoma. and honestly, it must be the more instantaneous way to die, so if I had to go, that last option would be it.

	kea718:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:07 GMT	16 points
	I'll opt for hanging. If done right , it's a pretty instantaneous death. IF they mess it up then that would SUCKKK!!! Instead of your neck cracking and killing you, you'd have to wait to suffocate to death.

	kea718:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:07 GMT	7 points
	Oh, btw, I really don't know how I know that....

	Henners:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:10 GMT	10 points
	Grim! Feel good thursday really has taken a turn for the better!

Comment below threshold: show it

	DRB:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:32 GMT	4 points
	quite surprised that the gas chamber is well behind as the least guessed answer. maybe it's just because i recently read John Grisham's "The Chamber"...

	XYlophonetreeZ:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:37 GMT	7 points
	Hanging is still legal in Delaware, I believe. Don't know what the other state is.

Comment below threshold: show it

	y2jdilemma:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:41 GMT	5 points
	@ XYlo....Washington.

	bsd987:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:46 GMT	26 points
	@gopaladins - the government cannot take away life without DUE PROCESS OF LAW: "nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." the double jeopardy clause explicitly mentions that a person can be put in jeopardy of their life and the due process clause only prevents taking of life without "due process." So no, the death penalty is not unconstitutional. You may think it is cruel and unusual, but what is cruel and unusual is up for the interpretation of the various states and the courts.

	Skydog:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:51 GMT	5 points
	Last 2 are old school. Gas Chamber was a surprise too. Got them all though

	Jeremy:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 17:57 GMT	12 points
	"Firing squad ... must be the more instantaneous way to die." Assuming people aim well, that is.

	DirtyKash:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:01 GMT	12 points
	"Pushing someone off a bridge" should be a method of execution.

	mungar:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:06 GMT	13 points
	Guillotine is the quickest, most painless way in my opinion. If I could pick any way, I'd choose that way even though it's not on the list.

	JohnJF:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:15 GMT	2 points
	5/5. If there is one thing Americans know, it's how to execute people. Let's keep it up, boys.

	refwen:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:27 GMT	5 points
	they should allow "the chair" for Electrocution

	chambers:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:28 GMT	16 points
	nice quiz. happy st george's day everyone (shame there hasn't been an england related quiz today...)

	Tirion:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:46 GMT	17 points
	It's a big shame that the capital punishment is still in use in the USA. 1. China (1718) 2. Iran (346) 3. Saudi Arabia (102) 4. USA (37) 4. Pakistan (36) 6. Iraq (33) That's a bunch of really great nations the USA is joining ranks there.

	SowCrates:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:47 GMT	24 points
	Maybe we should take a page from Monty Python and allow convicted criminals to choose the manner of their execution. I think being chased over a cliff by a dozen topless women would be quite popular. Personally, I'd like to ride some of the world's funnest roller coasters, then have my seat belt automatically come undone when I don't expect it on one of the coasters, then down I go. I guess that'd be a waste of organs and cause a bit of a mess, but you can't expect to be rational when you start fantasizing about the strangest and most exciting way to be executed

	chambers:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:49 GMT	8 points
	knocked this quiz dead

	chrispaz:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 18:55 GMT	10 points
	@Burton DeWitt, I think you missed the point of what gopaladins was saying. He didn't say it was unconstitutional. I think he was just saying it shouldn't be done, and I agree. Respect and apologies to the good, liberal people amongst you, but the answers to this quiz make for extremely depressing reading.

	pbrown:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 19:25 GMT	6 points
	I guess its a good thing I didn't know all the answers

	batmann:	Apr 23rd, 2009 at 19:30 GMT	4 points
	firing squad - Oklahoma, Idaho gas chamber - California, Arizona, Wyoming, Missouri, Maryland hanging - Washington, New Hampshire they're still considered an "option" but it's probably just one of these laws that hasn't been removed yet.